Plants: Your Weight Loss Secret Weapon

I know, you're probably on weight loss content overload right about now...

and pretty much anything I'm going to say on the subject will garner a response like this:

BUT hear me out!

The power of the plant has been touted year after year, but did you know that incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet will help you lose weight and have more energy? Here's a few ways that plants can help you keep your healthy resolutions.

Plants contain less calories, duh.

It's actually comical to see how little calories are in plants. Below are some examples of a variety of plant-based foods I eat frequently and their corresponding caloric values:

Swiss Chard - 7 Calories/Cup

Spinach - 7 Calories/Cup

Broccoli - 35 Calories/Cup

Carrots - 25 Calories/Medium Carrot (61 grams)

Apples - 95 Calories/Medium Apple (182 grams)

Blueberries - 85 Calories/Cup

Raspberries - 65 Calories/Cup

Strawberries - 45 Calories/Cup

Banana - 105 Calories/Medium Banana (118 grams)

Kale - 33 Calories/Cup

Tomato - 22 Calories/Medium Tomato (123 grams)

Potato - 163 Calories/Medium Potato (213 grams)

Sweet Potato - 114 Calories/Cup

Zucchini - 33 Calories/Medium Zucchini (196 grams)

The list is absolutely endless as there are so many varieties of fruits and vegetables available today. Green leafy vegetables tend to have the lowest caloric value, whereas heavier starches carry more calories but also will fill you up quicker as well.

Plants have character - they're not shallow or empty inside

Empty calories are found in foods containing no nutrients—foods with solid fats and added sugars like ice cream and sodas. Eating empty calories sets up cravings when the body’s low in a vitamin or mineral; satisfying those signals with even more empty foods creates a vicious cycle of craving and weight gain - not something we want to deal with in 2017, right?

Plants help you burn calories

To control weight you have to consume less energy than you burn (calorie deficit), and more exercise can burn calories faster. Vegetarian Times claims calories also can absorb differently and affect metabolism: “The after-meal calorie burn ... as you digest foods can be increased by a low-fat plant-based diet”; greater sensitivity to insulin “pushes nutrients into the cells,” to burn as body heat, not stored as fat.

Plants satisfy hunger

Not every calorie satiates in the same way. Dr. Frank Lipman, an integrative-medicine expert says: Calories from nutrient-dense foods maintain blood-sugar levels, enable your brain to signal that your stomach’s full, and minimize cravings, while nutrient-poor foods can spike insulin and cause cravings that lead to overeating.

So there you have it, plants can help you on your way to weight loss success. It's not really a secret, though, you've known it since you were a kid, constantly hearing from mom at the dinner table, "eat your veggies!" Thanks, Mom.

Had enough food puns? Of course you haven't. That's why you should order up some tasty plant-based meals located here. Stock your refrigerator now with the best chef-prepared meals around. Do you have time to go grocery shopping? Kale no!